2.
The city auction house.
It wasn’t a place just anyone could enter.
Even players couldn’t just walk in.
Likewise, not all NPCs were allowed inside.
Only those with at least 10,000 gold could participate—players or NPCs alike.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Anyone with a noble title could enter regardless of their financial status.
But in reality, it was rare for a noble to have less than 10,000 gold, so the rule mostly applied.
However, Seong was an exception.
"Sir Seong-hyun! Title confirmed! You may enter with one companion. Please enjoy the auction!"
The gatekeeper NPC greeted him and handed him a numbered token.
Seong gave a slight nod and responded politely.
"Ah, thank you."
— Huh...?
Beside him, Fiora looked slightly bewildered.
They hadn’t even checked his gold balance, yet they let him in without issue.
That said—
Seong wasn't broke.
He had more than 6,000 gold.
But that wasn’t enough to meet the 10,000-gold entry requirement.
‘Good thing I sold off all those Unique items.’
After selling off every single unused Unique-tier item in his inventory, he had managed to rack up over 33,000 gold.
Added together, he now had nearly 40,000 gold—
Which was roughly 400 million won in real-world currency.
Surely, that would be enough to buy the Abyssal Dragon’s Heart Fragment... right?
Seong had made plenty of money throughout his journey.
But now that he was about to spend it—
‘This is kinda nerve-wracking.’
People always said that knowing how to spend money was just as important as earning it.
And now, Seong could understand why.
He had never made such a large-scale purchase before.
If he weren’t naturally calm, he probably would have been trembling from nervousness.
Still—
Lint had confirmed that he sold the fragment to this auction house.
That meant—
"I have to win it here."
Just to be safe, Seong searched for past sales records in the player-run auction house.
The last recorded trade of an Abyssal Dragon’s Heart Fragment was four months ago.
And it had been the first and only time one had ever been sold.
In other words—
It was possible to find another one elsewhere, but extremely difficult.
Now that he had the chance, he needed to secure it.
That was why he had sold everything he didn’t need.
The items he had obtained from the Crystal Palace were enough to fund this bid.
The last recorded trade price for the fragment had been around 30,000 gold.
‘This should be enough.’
Of course, this assumption was based on Seong’s limited knowledge of economics.
In a high-profile auction house like this, where NPC nobles participated—
He should have expected the actual bid to be much higher.
But that was beyond his understanding at the moment.
As he approached the auction entrance, he overheard a conversation in the lobby.
A strikingly beautiful woman with a strong, healthy physique, adorned with luxurious jewelry, was conversing with a man who was similarly dressed to impress.
"Haha, Baroness, what brings you here today? I didn’t think you were usually interested in these kinds of auctions."
"I heard the Abyssal Dragon’s Heart Fragment was going up for sale."
Seong’s heart sank.
The Abyssal Dragon’s Heart Fragment?
A baroness was after it?
Listening more intently, he heard the man's response.
"Oh-ho! That reminds me—you are an exceptional dark mage, aren’t you?"
"Hoho. That’s right. What about you, Viscount? What are you here for?"
"I came to buy a few different things."
"That’s fine. As long as it’s not the Abyssal Dragon’s Heart Fragment."
"Even if I were interested in it, it wouldn’t matter. I’m going to win it no matter what."
"Hahaha! Of course you are."
Hearing this, Seong scratched his cheek awkwardly.
This was bad news.
‘Should I try to get more money somehow?’
It was hard to tell if 40,000 gold would be enough.
The baroness had money.
And she was determined to get the fragment.
What were the odds that a noble dark mage just happened to be after the same item?
Terrible luck.
As he felt an impending sense of doom, Fiora looked at him with concern.
— L-Lord...? Is something wrong?
Her voice brought him back to reality.
Seong shook his head.
‘It’s fine. If I can’t win, then so be it.’
It wasn’t like the fragment was the only thing being auctioned.
He just had to do his best with the money he had.
Thinking that way helped ease his nerves.
"No, it’s fine."
— R-Really?
"Yeah, it’s fine. Let’s go inside."
Fiora hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
Seeing her cute reaction, Seong smiled slightly before stepping inside.
The interior of the auction house was extravagant—
Majestic marble columns, gold-plated decor, and a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Rather than a movie-theater-style auction hall, it was structured more like a lavish banquet hall.
Noble NPCs sat in elegant chairs, awaiting the start of the auction.
At the front of the room, there was a large stage where the items would be presented.
‘Damn... This place is fancy.’
The sheer opulence was overwhelming.
It was so extravagant that he wasn’t sure where to even look.
He made his way to his assigned seat, according to his numbered token.
Perhaps because it was still early, there weren’t many people seated yet.
His table was completely empty, and the auctioneer’s podium remained unoccupied.
‘The auction starts in 30 minutes, right?’
With nothing else to do, he scanned the room.
As expected, there were far more NPCs than players.
And among them—
The noble NPCs were easily identifiable.
They were dressed extravagantly, engaging in sophisticated conversation.
Seong almost felt surprised by how many nobles were present.
‘Ah, right... This is the biggest city in the region, isn’t it?’
The largest cities naturally attracted the highest concentration of nobility.
That was how the game’s setting had been designed.
As Seong observed the nobles, he noticed something—
Most of them were treating the auction like a high-society social event.
They weren’t just bidding—
They were networking.
‘Hmm.’
Even the few other players in attendance were actively socializing with NPCs.
It was hard not to notice.
It made Seong wonder—
‘Should I be doing the same thing?’
But before he could dwell on it—
— L-Lord... W-Would you like some food?
"Food?"
— Y-Yes! Yes!
As Seong looked around, Fiora spoke up.
Her words weren’t particularly unusual, but...
A bit of drool slipped from the corner of her lips.
She really wanted something to eat.
Had he been neglecting her?
Seong felt slightly guilty and gave her a nod.
"Yeah, you can bring some for yourself too."
— R-Really!? T-Thank you, Lord!
The moment she got his permission, Fiora bolted off excitedly.
Even though he had dressed her in elegant attire to fit the auction’s atmosphere...
There she was, running around like a child.
But that was part of her charm.
And sure enough—
As Fiora rushed off to grab food, quite a few people turned to stare at her.
Both men and women.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
She was naturally captivating.
And now, as she hastily piled food onto a plate—
"Are you her companion?"
A deep voice interrupted Seong’s thoughts.
A middle-aged man had suddenly approached him.
Seong had never seen him before.
There was no way he would have.
He had just arrived in this city today.
And as for Fiora—
Her active period had been hundreds of years ago.
So why was this man speaking to him?
From his elegant speech and dignified posture, he was clearly a noble NPC.
But despite his polite demeanor, the sudden approach put Seong on guard.
"...Yes, I am," Seong answered cautiously.
His tone was borderline defensive, and the noble seemed slightly surprised.
Realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized.
"Ah, my apologies. I spoke too suddenly, assuming you would recognize me. I am Paragon de Gridri, the lord of this city."
"...Huh?"
The city lord?
Seong immediately stood up in shock.
He was about to introduce himself, but—
"Oh, no need for that. I already know about you. The wandering knight who captured a murderer, am I right?"
The noble asked for confirmation.
Seong nodded.
"Yes, that’s correct."
"Haha. Sir Seong, was it? Thank you for helping maintain the peace in my city."
"There’s no need to thank me. I simply did what had to be done."
"Perhaps, but I must say... Not just you, but your companion as well—she seems quite powerful. That’s why I approached you. You need not be so wary."
"Ah."
That made sense.
Seong finally began to lower his guard a little.
Even after hearing the city lord’s title, he had remained cautious.
But now that he understood the situation, he felt more at ease.
Lord Paragon, too, seemed to notice this, as his expression softened.
"This auction is particularly grand. And by chance, a new hero happens to be visiting our city at the same time. Please, enjoy your time here.
Oh, and—if you happen to be accepting requests, do visit the lord’s estate sometime. Until then."
Having said what he needed to, Lord Paragon turned and left.
Seong’s eyes gleamed as he watched him go.
‘Did he just... offer me a quest?’
A quest from a city lord?
That was insanely valuable.
It could even be a Hidden Quest.
Especially in this labyrinth city, where quest rewards were exceptionally efficient—
If he wasn’t interested in this, he might as well quit Eternal World entirely.
A pleased grin spread across Seong’s face.
‘Unexpected profit.’
Of course, getting the Abyssal Dragon’s Heart Fragment was still his main goal.
But even if he failed, he had already gained something valuable.
It wasn’t like there had been an entry fee to attend the auction, but—
If he had skipped this event to farm a dungeon instead, it would have been a waste of time.
Now, instead of wasting time, he had gained an enormous opportunity.
He had built a connection with the city lord.
As Seong relished this unexpected gain—
[ You have established a connection with 『Paragon de Gridri, the Lord of PentaGrid』. ]
[ You have obtained permission to enter the PentaGrid Lord’s Estate. ]
[ You have formed a relationship with a noble NPC of genuine title. ]
[ Title 『Reliable Backing!』 acquired. ]
『Reliable Backing!』
→《Rare》
→ A title granted to users who have formed a connection with a noble NPC holding a genuine title.
→ Increases recognition and favorability in social gatherings.
Just speaking with the lord had earned him a title?
Now it made sense why so many players were desperately trying to befriend noble NPCs.
However—
The noble NPCs in the room all carried themselves with extreme arrogance.
They clearly had no interest in mingling with players.
That explained why the title was Rare—
If forming a connection had been easy, the game wouldn’t reward it like this.
Seong shrugged it off and moved on.
At that moment—
Fiora returned with food.
She had stacked her plate to the point of absurdity.
It looked impossible to balance.
Seong chuckled and sat down.
Together, they dug into the food—
And it was shockingly delicious.
If he had to compare it—
‘It’s as good as Kwon Restaurant.’
Kwon Restaurant was a high-end establishment that had recently earned a three-star rating.
For a game to replicate that level of flavor—
It was almost unbelievable.
As Seong savored the meal—
Someone was watching him.
Their gaze was sharp, filled with resentment.
Their expression twisted into a scowl.
‘You think I’ll just let this slide?’
Seong remained completely unaware.